Blossoming Path

"Here."

Lan-Yin and Wang Jun looked cautiously at the two pills I presented to them, both of them eyeing the small, round objects like they might suddenly explode.

"What are these?" Wang Jun asked, a hint of wariness creeping into his voice. His breath hung in the frosty air, the chill of the winter morning seeping into the training ground around us. The sky was a pale gray, and the snow, packed under our feet, crunched with every shift of weight.

I stretched, rolling my shoulders casually as I tossed them each a pill. "Pills for you, obviously. Don’t ask too many questions, just be grateful and kowtow before me in thanks for my superior alchemical prowess."

Lan-Yin raised an eyebrow, smirking at my dramatic tone. "Oh? You want us to start worshipping you now?"

"Absolutely," I said, grinning as I dusted off my robes. "But seriously, I made these for you both. Took your elemental affinities into account, so they should work well for your cultivation."

Wang Jun and Lan-Yin exchanged a glance, their skepticism palpable.

Lan-Yin gave the pill in her hand an experimental sniff. "And just how do you know our elemental affinities, oh wise and powerful alchemist?"

I crossed my arms, adopting my best haughty expression. "It's an educated guess, of course. But if you check your Interface, it should say. I made Wang Jun's pill with Metal and Fire in mind."